ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture) is a large, nation-wide informal network of more than 400 organisations drawn from 20 states of India, that have come together in 2010 to organise a Kisan Swaraj Yatra, a nation-wide mobilisation to draw attention to issues pertaining to our FOOD, FARMERS, FREEDOM.
The network consists of farmers’ organisations, consumer groups, women’s organisations, environmental organisations, individual citizens and experts who are committed to the cause of sustainable and viable farm livelihoods in rural India and thereby, safe, nutritious, diverse and adequate food for all Indians.
From the dialogues that emerged during the Kisan Swaraj Yatra and subsequent work, ASHA articulates a 4-pillared Kisan Swaraj Neeti and calls on governments to adopt the same. This policy articulation provides a framework for a forward-looking agricultural policy approach for India. The four pillars of Kisan Swaraj are income security for farmers; ecological sustainability of agriculture; people’s control over agricultural resources like land, water and seed; and access to safe, healthy, sufficient food for all.
ASHA Charter of Demands (Kisan Swaraj Neeti, brief) (In Hindi) (In Gujarati)
Longer Explanatory Notes on each of the 4 pillars of Kisan Swaraj Neeti:
Income Security for All Farm Households (In Hindi)
Seed and Land related Sovereignty with Farming Communities (In Hindi)
Environmental Sustainability in Agriculture (In Hindi)
Safe, Diverse, Nutritious & Adequate Food for All (In Hindi)
FOR THE KISAN SWARAJ SAMMELAN IN HYDERABAD IN APRIL 2016, DISCUSSION NOTES WERE CREATED ON VARIOUS THEMES THAT ASHA WORKS ON. These discussion notes are given below, in addition to the Introductory Note on ASHA that was circulated to the participants and an Introduction to the Resource Persons who dealt with these themes during the Sammelan.
1. Land Rights
8. GMOs in our food, farming & environment
An introduction to ASHA
Brief Intros to Resource Persons in Kisan Swaraj Sammelan